Emerald and Aquamarine
by Pygmy Pandazilla
Summary: When Martian Manhunter brings his daughter to Earth to study customs and get an Earth education just as the team begins, she's brought along as they duel villains, go covertly into the belly of evil labs, and simultaneously experience an Earthling teenage life. OC/Aqualad after 1.03
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Welcoming**

A few months ago, Lyssa wouldn't have thought an ending so ingratiating, so perfect, would be nearly possible. With the amount of trouble that spanned in the time was appalling, and almost everything that could've went wrong did. But there was a sunrise in that time of darkness. With her sitting on the viewing deck of the Watchtower, Kaldur's fingers woven through hers so gently, she can't help but recall the time with a sense of revival.

**|Watchtower**

**|July 19, 7:55 a.m.**

From the Watchtower, the Earth looked like a marble.

A large one at that, with swirls and twists of cloud, land, and water, all somehow coming together like a perfect painting. It was dazzling to a point of dizziness from this view. Lyssa had to advert her eyes to keep from getting a head ache.

Not that she wasn't used to space, especially since she's been flying since two weeks ago to get to Earth in the time she did, but she wasn't used to Earth. It was like a new reality on its own. Over and over in the past, she had been told by her father that Earth was round in view and flat in contact. It's the same with Mars, only Mars didn't have such abundant expansions of water. And Martian communities are in large caves under the ground since the surface isn't habitable.

Being able to see the sun every day is what Lyssa was really going to like about living on Earth.

Sitting in one of the chairs of the conference room, she twirled in a circle, the tips of her boots dragging on the ground as she laid her head back against the comfortable back. The light from the strips of bulbs laid across her light green skin, making her more pale than usual. Her amber eyes glinted in the light, becoming florescent, and her posture was gracefully relaxed. Glancing around, she thought of how many colors that this room could do with, just for interest's sake.

Lyssa thought of the all the stars and comets she saw as she flew from Mars on course to this planet, or rather, the planet below. They were all so beautiful, as if they were perfectly placed. It was like a new image every second, since every time you went forward, their order would change ever so slightly. It was dazzling to say the least.

Lost in thought, she never noticed the sound of the door sliding open. Only after a cleared throat did she glance over, smiling at sight of Black Canary. Lyssa had easily taken a liking to Black Canary, due to her often snarky banter with other League members and her way of making her temporary stay at the Watchtower comfortable and enjoyable.

Canary nodded, "Your dad asked me to come get you. We need to give you a few more shots and run a few more tests."

Lyssa floated to her feet, walking towards Canary. Following behind Canary, they left the conference room, heading right down a long corridor. Their footsteps echoed around and bounced off the walls like springs. It would've been eerie if she wasn't already used to it. They continued forward until they reached a crossroads, taking a left and immediately stopping at a door, labelled Medical Bay. Hitting a button on a key pad, the door slid open, and they walked through without a word.

Once inside, Lyssa took in what was around her. It was a large square room that had about sixteen beds in it, tables with IV's, heart monitors, and trays of medical instruments. All the beds were made and empty, with a single pillow and a thin sheet stretched over the lumpy mattresses that usually belong in a hospital. The floor was plain white tile and the walls were an off white shade, lights that were overly bright making the room look like its glowing. Tables across the room had medical science machines lining it.

Standing at the nearest bed, three syringes laid out and sterilized on a metal table, was Martian Manhunter. He was waiting, and turned when he saw that the two had entered the bay. Upon seeing Lyssa, he nodded and motioned to the bed, offering a small comforting smile. She floated over and settled onto the bed, Canary walking over and standing at the foot of it. Manhunter didn't say anything as he went to a cabinet that lined the wall and pulled out two things. One was a glass jar with a metal lid full of cotton balls and the second was a bottle of disinfectant.

"Your tests for the vaccines went badly," Martian Manhunter said, looking to Lyssa, "Usually, those vaccines would help with breathing and dealing with the atmosphere, but since they didn't work, we have worked out what about them wasn't effective and can try again."

Lyssa nodded, "And if they don't?"

Martian Manhunter put a hand on his daughters arm, "This happened with M'gann too."

Canary nodded, "We would assume that it's because of your young age and you haven't fully grown into yourselves."

Lyssa smirked at her, "You know I'm older than you, right?"

Canary was about comment, but Martian Manhunter said, "This first vaccine is the remodeled version of the one that helps with breathing air. Usually, your lungs adapt right away, but at night when you're asleep, you forget it."

"That just shows how good we are at what we do," Lyssa said, earning a smile from Manhunter.

"Indeed," He said, pouring a tiny bit of disinfectant onto a cotton ball while his daughter offered her arm out. Taking her wrist, he wiped the area between her wrist and elbow before discarding it and taking one of the needles. With a quick look at her face, he looked back and poked the tip into her skin, pushing down the plunger. She barely flinched as he retracted the tip, laying it aside to be thrown away later.

"Only two more," He said, taking the next one and aiming it just next to where the last one went in. He injected the next one into her arm while saying, "This one helps with the gravity." He discarded that one and took the next one, "And this is for the atmosphere."

Canary had sat quietly there until the last one was injected. Then she said, "I'll give it a few minutes to fully go through your system. Then I'll have to take some blood to test it."

Lyssa gave a low whistle, "So many needles. Is it my birthday?"

Canary smiled and pat her on the shoulder, walking towards the line of machines on the other side of the room and pressing some buttons on a large, clunky piece of tech. Manhunter took the bottle of disinfectant and the jar of cotton balls, putting them away before telepathically sending the three needles to the trashcan by the door. A few minute went by in silence before Canary came over with a fourth needle, giving a small look of warning before taking a syringe of blood and placing a bottle of water next to her. Twisting the top off, she watched her run the tests.

"This should take only a minute." Canary said, hitting a few buttons on a long panel. After a minute, a light glowed green and she nodded. Papers printed out next to the machine and she held it up. "The vaccine should be working. We'll be checking in on you in the morning, just in case, but you're good for now."

Manhunter looked at Canary, "Is the Team aware that she's coming?"

Canary nodded, "I told them to be expecting a new teammate in the next week. They know she's coming. And I prepared and sent her things down to the Cave this morning. All of her bags and boxes."

Lyssa grinned, "That was nice, thank you."

"The Team was excited, because they want to meet the new teammate. You should head down. I know they'll be happy to meet you."

The young Martian nodded and looked to her father, who motioned for the door, "We shall go then. Thank you Black Canary."

She nodded in response and tucked the paperwork into a folder, labelled L'ssala "Lyssa" J'onzz. The two left the room without another word to the other woman, heading back the way they came. It was a fairly still walk, no words exchanged. They turned right immediately and strolled down the plain hallway. The whole Watchtower was like this-white, pristine. All Lyssa wanted to do was pour orange paint down the walls and splatter the roof with purple. At least she wouldn't be swallowed by blankness.

They walked past the conference room, where Lyssa had been before, and headed to a large room at the end of the hallway. It had nothing in it except for several large arches that looked like shallow mechanical caves, gears turning and spinning as they approached, Manhunter gestured her to go first, and she right away felt a bit nervous. Despite it, however, she walked forward as a laser scanned over her body.

"Recognize Red Martian B07," The computer droned as a bright light overcame her. Her body tingled, like a million tiny bolts of electricity pulsed through her as her molecules got gently plucked apart and sent at the speed of light towards the planet. She couldn't feel the journey there, but she felt it as her body all at once reformed. She staggered forward and caught herself before standing up completely and looking around.

The Cave was huge. Stalactites pointed like giant ice cream cones towards the floor, the center of the room she was in dotted with a large, computerized floor, illuminating the room in its glow. A doorway across the room led towards a distant light that was barely a dot, and another to her left led down a dark hallway. Her amber eyes scanned around the room and her jaw was dropped in amazement. She let out a befuddled breath. The computer announced the arrival of her father a moment after her own arrival, and she couldn't even bring herself to look at him, but listened as he chuckled.

"It's huge," Lyssa mused, feeling her father's look on her face as she walked forward.

"It is a mountain, hollowed out when the Justice League was formed. It's located near the small, almost completely unknown town of Happy Harbor. Nobody would've thought to look here. But years ago, the villains found out about it, so we thought it right to go to where we are now, the Hall of Justice. It leads to the Watchtower."

"But isn't that a tourist attraction in the capital? It's such an obvious target, and people could get hurt," Lyssa said, confused on why they would move from a hollowed out mountain and go to a large, masterpiece in the center of the Washington Mall, even if it wasn't even the real base.

"It's to convince the people that we are open with our secrets even if we wear masks. It's more like an…indemnity plan," He replied motioning for her to walk. She nodded, and started walking forward with her father in tow. "No villain would attack. Military forces are convenient. Even if we are not there, it is protected and the civilians that visit are safe."

"Clever of the government to have your backs."

"We believe it's to ensure that we decide to switch from good to evil, they can destroy us at their convenience. It isn't to protect us, more or less, but to protect the people. We are super-beings and aliens after all."

"So that merits their distrust?" Lyssa asked, "Because we do not come from your planet or live how you wish? That is nativism at its worst! Are they truly that ignorant?"

"They are scared people, relying on people that wearing costumes and fight using powers and skill to their advantage. They aren't even sure who we are. They call us by aliases and depend on their trust in us to keep from starting a war against sixteen obviously lethal people. They treat us like heroes, but wish to know our secrets like bosses or controllers. In the end, however, they see the good in us. The military precaution is most-likely the work of a single politician who is working off of conspiracies."

"Yeah," Came a male voice, sounding fairly amused, "And it's usually the politician who has blood on his hands. Sound familiar?"

Lyssa was suddenly on alert as she swung around, looking for a source for the voice. Her ember colored eyes swished around the room, where she was centered, only for her eyes to land on the shadowed figure of a boy. He stood with his arms at his side, smirking cleverly at them. As he emerged from the dark, she was about to see him fully. A Caucasian boy, with hair like coal and eyes covered with black sunglasses. He was thin and lean in figure, fairly short but well filled for a kid of his age, which she guessed was around thirteen.

"So, are you the new team member Bats has been talking about?" He asked, walking forward, his smirk now a genuinely kind smile.

Lyssa was stunned by his informality, but not insulted. In fact, it made her happy that he wasn't as strict as the Leaguers. Maybe this wasn't going to be difficult. "I suppose so," She ended up saying, "Are you the 'young partner' he has mentioned?"

He shrugged, "I suppose so."

She smiled at the boy. He was so innocent and childish it was endearing. She turned to her father, "Should we go meet the rest?"

Manhunter looked at Robin, a long second passing as their eyes met and a silent message passed between them. After that, he turned to his daughter, "I have things to attend to on the Watchtower. I must be going. I am sure Robin is more than capable of introducing the team and you."

Lyssa felt an odd tightening feeling in her stomach. Nervousness. She knew it by the uncomfortable itch in her muscles. Taking a breath, she nodded and put on her best smile, though strained. "Of course. Good luck."

Manhunter nodded, patting her encouragingly on the shoulder and moving towards the transporter once again. Lyssa felt the nerves tense even more as it announced his exit and left them with the sounds of the Zeta winding down. She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned to look at Robin, trying on another smile.

"After you?"

Robin smiled, leading the way towards the hallway. He moved with a normal prowl, as if he was ready to spring into action so easily. She noted that he wore a very bulky golden belt around his small waist, and his fingers twitched instinctively towards the pouches that were sewn to its heavy nylon. He smiled sheepishly when he caught her observing his stature.

"You are…twitchy," She said simply, "Are you afraid I will attack you, or are you simply being prepared?"

He shrugged, "Its preparation. I'm supposed to be ready at a moment's notice."

Lyssa furrowed her brows at the boy, but didn't ask further. She simply followed him down the extensive hall. It was a plain hall, dark in color but she supposed it was due to the fact it was made of hard stone. It was stuffy, but cool in the Cave, such an odd mix. She was overwhelmed by the feeling it gave her lungs.

Once they reached the end of the hall, Robin gave her a wink and walked into the brightness of the living area. It was a very cozy area, considering that the whole mountain was quite cavernous. It was a kitchen, attached to a living room. The kitchen was nice, the counters an obsidian colored granite on oak wood cabinets, the floor the same as the rest of the Cave-rock. The counter acted as a sitting area, with four stools lining it and food laid out atop it. The living area was made of two couches, both of which are green, with an oak table between. Right now, the TV played the news, the volume barely high enough to hear.

Two people were in the room. One of them, Lyssa knew upon looking at her, because it was more or less like looking in a mirror. The same red hair, different in length but the same in color, and amber-gold eyes that looked like they should be sized for a necklace. M'gann (as her father calls her) was about an inch taller, but they were both just as curvy in frame. They had never met, but M'gann could be Lyssa's sister. The boy in the living area was taller, even when sitting Lyssa could tell. He had short cut hair and a brooding way to him that was almost casual. He was obviously strong, with muscles all along his broad chest and long arms, his eyes cast in a sapphire glare as she entered.

Upon seeing Lyssa, M'gann jumped with a start, "Oh!" A smile spread across her pink lips, "You're the new teammate! Nobody said it was going to be a girl, but I had hoped! And you're a Martian!"

"Meg, your pancakes are burning," Robin said, picking up a cookie from a plate on the counter and biting into it.

M'gann smelled the air and flew to the stove, lifting the lightly burned pancakes from the hot skillet and flipping them, getting a ladle of batter ready. The boy on the couch got up and walked over towards the kitchen, sitting silently at the counter and pouring himself a cup of water. Lyssa smiled at him, but he just nodded in response.

"So," M'gann said, "When did you get here?"

"About a week ago. My father offered me a chance to study further on Earth since my education on Mars was going well. He insisted that I come, but after saying no twice, I came to my senses and realized it would be a 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunity."

"Your father?" M'gann asked, then gasped, "You're Martian Manhunter's daughter! My cousin!"

Lyssa nodded, "Yes, and he told me that you were approachable and kind."

She smiled, "Call me Megan."

Megan, Lyssa thought, smiling. It's an Earth name. Of course she would adopt one early, so it wouldn't be so foreign later. She smiled at the thought, leaning back against the counter.

"Call me Lyssa. Really, it's L'ssa but I find it hard to pronounce."

"If you prefer L'ssa, we will call you that." Said a masculine voice.

It wasn't a familiar voice that asked, so Lyssa searched for the origin. She turned her head, a moment later landing on a tall, muscled figure of a teen of about sixteen. He was African American, with short hair that was white and eyes that were so pale they almost matched his hair. His cheek bones were high, his legs and arms were long and wrapped in muscle, and he wore a red shirt with dark blue pants, barefoot.

"I prefer Lyssa." She assured, "But thank you."

He nodded, "It is not us that has to be comfortable with the name." He reached his hand out, "You may call me Kaldur. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," She replied, taking his hand and shaking it once, "Is this the team? I was told it was only a few of the sidekicks."

Kaldur nodded, "The only one that is missing is Kid, and he'll be here soon. And we prefer protégés."

"My apologies." Lyssa said, looking at the ground slightly.

He put a hand up in reassurance, "It is fine. Do you want us to show you around? I don't think simple directions on where to go will be as helpful."

She was willing to bet he was correct, and the only other option was exploring or not understanding directions and getting lost in the cave. So instead of taking the risk, she smiled and nodded, "Yes, please."

Kaldur nodded and motioned for the door way against the far wall, "I'm sure Superboy and M'gann would be more helpful on this tour than me."

M'gann nodded excitedly and turned off the burner, putting down the bowl of batter and flying to catch up, but Superboy just shrugged, hesitating before getting up and following behind. When he got close to Lyssa, she turned and held out her hand, "Nice to meet you."

She knew she caught him by surprise, but she wanted to introduce herself politely and she felt awkward if he was so purposely excluding himself. He paused and looked at her hand before slowly taking it in her hand. "Same."

They released one another's hands and M'gann lead, hooking Lyssa's arm before she could object. Behind them Kaldur and Superboy followed, Robin last in line, playing on his wrist computer. He hit a few holographic buttons before he made his way up front with the girls, hooking both of their arms and smiling.

"Your room is where the power houses of the League used to be," He said, pointing it out on the map, "Your room was once one of the Green Lantern's. Fitting, since your fully native green martian."

Lyssa looked at him, "How did you know-?"

"I was in the room when it announced your entry." He explained, "Plus your file is already on the central Cave data base. Red Martian, huh?"

Lyssa laughed at such antics, but M'gann suddenly lost a bit of her chipper ways. She soon shook it off, and decided that their last stop should be her room. With Robin in the center of their small chain, they went towards the necessary places first-bathroom, showers, locker rooms, medical bay. She was fascinated by Robin's ability to hack, but also his way of being so casual about it. It was truly how he worked.

The next place they went was the library, which fascinated her more than the Boy Wonder's computer skills. It was shelves of information on cultures and civilizations that were just waiting to be read. A whole section in the corner was devoted to artists and their styles. It was hard to remove her from the library, but eventually they moved on to the training area. It was a large, and for a lack of better terms, insane looking gym, with obstacle courses and little androids that were meant to fight you, and learn to fight you the next time. After that, they stopped where she originally entered, the missions room. They then moved to hangar, where she was surprised to see M'gann's ship.

"I had to leave mine on the Watchtower," Lyssa had said.

The waterfall room was peaceful, but they just stopped briefly there. Then they went to Grotto, which at the moment had no memorials in it, and the souvenir room, which only had a single electronic eye as a souvenir.

Finally, they got around to the revealing of her room. They stopped in front of the door, Robin programing her name into the door, and allowing her the chance to type in a password. They looked away while she did it, wiping the screen afterwards just in case, and then they opened the door.

It was a decent sized room. Impressive, even. It had a bit more character than most rooms, with an arch that lead to a smaller room, which was probably supposed to be a closet. The bed had nothing on it, and was centered in the room. Her boxes, about four of them, were sitting at the foot of her bed, a small dresser on the same wall as the door. The walls were dark blue, the floor had a decent textured carpet on it, and overall, the room was nice.

"I like it," She decided.

"We shall leave you to unpack," M'gann said, "If you need help, just call out down the hall. The lounge isn't far away."

Lyssa smiled, "Thanks."

The left the room and the door closed behind her. She looked around at the room, smiling to herself. It was perfect.

She got to work.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey Guys! PPz here! I just wanted to let you guys know that I have most of the chapters prewritten, but I don't want to get ahead of myself by posting more than I can write. So every time I write a chapter, I will post a chapter. I just got done with chapter 5 and I'm starting chapter 6 tomorrow afternoon. You guys are just lucky I started posting when I was almost done with my chapter. Thanks for reviewing the chapter, so far the story (in a single day!) is in a slow incline.**

**I just wanted you guys to know that as I write, you get an update. If I don't finish a chapter within two weeks, I'll post one anyway. I know how it gets when one of your favorite stories doesn't get updated, so any time within two weeks is when you guys get more of the story! **

**Disclaimer (since I forgot it originally) I only own Lyssa! I don't own the Cave, or the characters, or the funky little plots that ensue when they are in actual episodes. Just Lyssa, and any other OC is just randomly implant, which I doubt will happen.**

**Lyssa was a hard OC to write, by the way. I didn't want to make her too sassy or too Mary Sue, so I had to be careful on how I worded everything. I'm a bit proud of myself, but don't confuse me for arrogant. I did mess up a lot. If you guys have any questions, ask away!**

**Enjoy Chapter 2!**

**Chapter 2:**

By the time lunch came around, Wally had shown up, and offered his most debonair smile and a kiss on the hand. Lyssa had been warned of the ginger, but she didn't find it annoying, but rather endearing, as she did with Robin. He was just a little taller than her, almost the exact same height, and had red hair, freckles on his cheeks, and eyes that were like emeralds. He possessed the power to run faster than any man alive, besides Flash himself, who took pride in being the fastest man alive.

Megan made some sandwiches for lunch. More than a dozen of them were eaten by Wally, and the rest were for the remainder of the Team. Lyssa sat next to Megan at the edge of the counter, with Wally talking around a mouthful of meat and cheese trying to sweet talk to Martians. They just gave each other humored looks and giggled at his attempts.

It was when dinner came around when they settled down a bit. Robin had left to go home, giving the new Martian a nudge of good luck and a knowing look. Wally stayed for dinner and left to catch dinner at his house, saying a quick bye and speeding out before the farewell was returned. Kaldur stayed, making idle chat, but headed back to Shayeris at around eight. He said his goodbyes and left. Finally, Superboy and Megan remained, but that didn't remain for long when Superboy headed off to get a shower.

When it got to around nine at night, Megan and Lyssa were sitting in the lounge with the TV on and a bowl of caramel corn between them, quickly made after dinner and the team left. They were watching an Earth comedy that was for kids, not that they minded. They both transformed their biosuits into pajamas, curled their feet up, and were casually eating caramel covered popcorn.

"This is good," Lyssa said, looking at an individual piece that looked golden and delicious. She popped it into her mouth, "I never had this before."

"I learned about it on the cooking channel," Megan said, "Apparently it's popular when it comes to small children's parties and family gatherings. I can understand why, since it's so easy to make." She paused for a second, "How are you adjusting?"

Lyssa laughed, "You phrased that how my dad would. But I am adjusting well, thank you." She looked at her, "How did you?"

Megan looked down sheepishly, "I made a few mistakes. I did not know reading minds on Earth is an invasion of privacy. But the team corrected me and forgave me for my ignorance. They are a great group of people. Loyal and helpful and understanding."

Lyssa thought of the team she had met today, and nodded in agreement. She couldn't exactly deny it.

"So are you able to go on missions?" Megan asked.

Lyssa shook her head, "I'm not cleared for that yet. I don't even know how to fight."

Megan shrugged, "Canary starts training us in a few weeks. Maybe then-"

"Until then I'm going to be a useless lump who stays in the library," She sighed, floating to her feet, "I'm going to bed."

Megan nodded at her, "Okay. Cya in the morning!"

Nodding, the girl walked across the room, switching her suit into a pair of pajama shorts. She would have done it earlier, but she didn't want to seem trampy by wearing shorts that didn't cover much. Her top remained a tee shirt. She was well out of sight, down the hall, when she turned to the living quarters. She got to her door, almost walking past it the first time but quickly typing in her room code and entering.

In the short time she was given to fix up her room, she had painted the wall with a tub a paint that was in one of her boxes (with a note on top: _From Canary_). The wall was now a charming red color, she had white bed sheets and blankets so it went well together, and she found an old lamp in the corner of the closet that she now uses on her bedside table. Books and notebooks were neatly on the shelves of the desk, bed, and walls, the notebooks organized by subject and year and the books organized alphabetically.

In general, her room was organized how she wished it would be, and she was pleased with herself.

Lyssa went to her bed and went under the covers, the cool air chilling her skin and giving her bumps up her arms. She curled under them, turning off the light a moment later and sighing into her pillow. She wouldn't be of use to the team for a while, and she knew it. Her uselessness was going to be looming in the back of her mind until the end of her first mission, where she learned if she truly was as she thought she was.

Lyssa shook her head. _Think of all the good things that happened today_. She stared at the roof, thinking of entering the Cave. The excitement that went through her. Or meeting the full team. Robin, Megan, Superboy, Kaldur, and Wally. All so kind and helpful, though some were shy or not as bold as others. Seeing a room that she didn't have to share with siblings or, in general, with someone else. That was so new!

Her mind no longer saw the negative things that would happen in the future. She thought about right now. She smiled with content and closed her eyes, knowing that her mind would produce a dream of epic proportions.

**|The Cave **

**|July 20 05:09 am**

Lyssa found herself unable to sleep very well that night, and was forced awake early the next morning, stiff and weary eyed. She stretched out her arms, crossing them over her chest and feeling the muscles in her shoulder pull tight, then sitting up and feeling the same feeling in her back. It was a sore, warm feeling that made her sigh. Glancing over at the clock, she saw the time and internally groaned.

_Too early_ she thought, though she knew in her mind that sleeping well the first night would be a miracle. It was her mind, racing so quickly and sorting through the past week with so fast it would do Kid Flash proud.

Lyssa stood from her bed and turned on the small light, giving the room a slight glow. She wasn't sure what to do with herself so early. She could open herself up to new things within the earthen culture by listening to music or watching movies, but Superboy's hearing would wake him up. She could go a try and cook, but she didn't quite understand everything in the kitchen here.

_The library_.

The words came to mind and Lyssa smiled. In her weary state, she reasoned a book would be good for going back to sleep. So she turned, putting in her password and leaving the room, using her psychic powers to turn off her lamp first.

Lyssa was careful not to walk, lifting a few inches off the ground before flying slowly to the library.

She was clever the day before. She knew to memorize where she needed to go, such as the showers, the missions' room, or the kitchen. For all the unnecessary places that she would find herself going recreationally, she made little notes on paper to lead her to the destination. In her hand was the small paper, kept in her pocket from the night before. After a short amount of time, she was looking at the distant image of the library doors.

Upon getting to the doors, she landed on the ground, careful not to make any loud thudding noises as she did. Her bare feet on the ground sent chills up her spine, but she ignored it and entered the library.

She was amazed with this room from the moment she saw it. There was two floors, both lined so perfectly with books and various volumes. Encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesaurus', biographies, autobiographies, and an assortment of fiction sat perfectly organized on each shelf, not a space bare. There was a reading area, were you could sit on a pair of chairs or on one of the two sofas and read in peace. Computers were available, hooked to the main system, and there was a phone there too.

Lyssa looked for a section to begin in. Locking eyes on a history section, she flew up to the second floor and landed on the platform, walking forward. She scanned the spines until she saw a book about American history. She also plucked a European history book off the next shelf, and below it a geography book. Taking the heavy books, she went down to the sofa, laying them onto the empty seat next to her, taking the one off the top-which happened to be the one about geography-and started reading.

Within the next hour, Lyssa had memorized the named of every state in America, their capital, and started on Mexico. She learned easily. It was useful, but on occasion she found herself thinking like she was a walking text book. It was annoying sometimes as well. She would talk like she was quoting the source of the information and people would give her strange looks. Though it was common, it made her a little timid when it occurred.

The next several hours passed with incredibly speed, with Lyssa getting lost with American history, geography, and European history. It was all so fascinating to her. By the time Kid Flash ran in to tell her breakfast was ready, she was almost a quarter of the way through the text.

"Lyssa?" Kid called out, stopping from his speedy pace at the threshold. "Meg said breakfast is ready. Where are you?"

Lyssa looked up from her book and leaned forward so she could be seen around a bookcase. "Over here, Kid Flash."

Kid walked over to her and leaned against the shelf. "What's that?"

"A history book of European countries," Lyssa pointed to the other two, "and those are American history and a geography book. I have to know the basics by the beginning of the academic season."

"I could always help you with that," He said with a wink.

She shook her head, "Thank you, but I like learning first hand. It keeps twisted information from displacing or replacing fact."

He shrugged, "Whatever floats your boat," he motioned for the door, standing straight, "The foods gonna be cold."

Lyssa laid the books down gently and stood from where she was, moving around slightly before walking towards Kid. He draped an arm over her shoulder and they walked together out of the Library.

The team was already gathered by the time that they arrived. The whole team. M'gann was pushing eggs around in a pan, Superboy was in the living room lounging, and Robin was perched at the counter next to Kaldur, who sat with a particularly straight posture. Food was lain out on plates a pitcher of water was on the counter between them all.

"Good morning," Lyssa greeted as she walked in, smiling at all of the people in front of her. She was pleasantly surprised that yesterday wasn't a dream.

A chorus of _good morning_'s sounded in sync as she walked to the counter. Kid flashed over to the couch, a plate full of food in his hand in under a second. She took a counter seat, one of four, next to Kaldur in the middle.

"Where were you this morning, Lyssa?" Megan asked, "I went to wake you up but you were already out of bed."

"I decided to educate myself prematurely on the history and geography of parts of the world." She explained, pouring herself water. "I have been informed that it was part of the American education system to teach the history of one's country first, which originated from a European country called Britain. American presidents are supposed to be known as well, and state names and capitals."

Robin looked impressed, "You learned all of that in a morning?"

She shrugged shyly, "I've been up for three hours. I only learned from the beginning of the country to the presidency of James Buchanan. And for Britain, I learned from King William the Conqueror to Edward III. Out of the states, I only know the first thirteen colonies."

"You learned rather quickly," Kaldur said with a small smile, "Perhaps you will be cleared for missions sooner than we thought."

"When did you think I would be cleared?" Her eye brows were furrowed in prepared for an insult.

But it never came, "We do not wish to offend you, Lyssa. My apologies. We simply meant that we were informed that you had no training besides psychological in your life. It wasn't meant rudely."

His hand was on her arm comfortingly and she smiled at him, nodding. "Thank you for the compliment. And I was just insecure, ignore my pettiness."

"It was not petty," He assured.

She looked down at her hands, resting on the granite in front of her, and tried to fight the blush of slight embarrassment. "What is physical training like?"

"It's not that bad," Kid ensured from behind, coming around for seconds. "You heal."

When Lyssa showed a look of shock, Robin quickly interceded, "We'd start simple. Throwing punches and simple defense. We aren't going to have you sparring with Batman on your first fight."

Lyssa laughed slightly, "I'm all brains."

Kaldur said, "And usually, your powers would be good enough in a fight, but extensive training keeps you prepared for anything. Even Superboy will be needing training, and he's a younger clone of Superman."

Superboy grumbled under his breath.

M'gann slid her a bare plate, but Lyssa instead took a bowl, filling it with fruit and starting to eat. She had grown fond of Earth fruit and vegetables during her time on the Watchtower, when Canary would bring her some from a market in Star City. Her father brought her some as well from Chicago.

She ate quietly while a different conversation bloomed. Kid brought up when they were going to have another mission, since they really came together on their last one. As a side note, he told Lyssa not to talk to them mentally, since entering someone's mind was an invasion of privacy. M'gann turned a light shade of pink at this mention, but remained silent. Kaldur elbowed Kid but remained silent.

When Lyssa finished breakfast, she went around the counter and started helping clean the dishes. Though there was an objection by M'gann, she didn't listen, and proceeded to clean until all of them were drying on the rack. She then turned her eyes to the team. They had migrated since they finished eating. M'gann remained where she was, as did Superboy, but Kid and Robin now flanked him, and Kaldur stood between the sofa and the armchair, watching casually.

It was peculiar. They didn't notice but they all gravitated towards each other. Kaldur was leaning towards Kid, who was closest to him on the couch, and he was sitting closer than a normal length away from Superboy, as was Superboy to Robin. Even M'gann was slowly easing towards them. Their trust in one another was so obvious that it was as clear as a statement. It was…nice.

Lyssa leaned against the far counter and watched the game. Nobody noticed she wasn't there until Kaldur took a glance around and found where she was. He then silently made his way back to her and leaned against the counter next to her.

"This all must seem new," Kaldur said in an almost whisper.

Lyssa nodded, though she seemed a little distant at the moment. It took her a second to reply. "You are all so tightly knitted already. It's a bit intimidating."

"It'll take time to adjust, but you will," He said. "I'm sure of it."

Lyssa smiled, "You have a lot of faith in me. You only just met me. I don't understand how you could be so sure if you don't know all of the facts."

"You will find that not all facts are out in the open, and sometimes we have to guess to see what happens."

"So faith?"

Kaldur smiled. "Yes. Faith."

They shared a look and turned back to the TV

The team had been sitting around for a while when Martian Manhunter came in. Everyone had migrated to sit somewhere in the living area. With Wally, Robin, and Superboy all squished on the long couch, Kaldur in one armchair, and Megan and Lyssa sitting together on the other, with Lyssa cross legged on the seat while Megan was cross legged on the arm.

They didn't hear the entrance over the video games that were being played in turns by the members, but when they walked in, they all turned.

"Hey guys," Black Canary said, smiling. Martian Manhunter walked over to the gap between the couch and Kaldur's armchair. Lyssa stood up and so did Megan, both of them smiling.

"Uncle J'onn!"

Megan flew at Martian Manhunter as Lyssa rose from her own seat, walking towards him only after Megan released him from her embrace. Lyssa stepped next to Megan and nodded at the league members.

"Hello, father," She looked to her dad, "Black Canary." She looked to Canary.

She nodded back. "Hello, Lyssa. This is the follow up we were telling you about." She backed up and gave Lyssa room to walk. Lyssa walked to the hallway and paused, trying to think of where med bay was. Canary realized this and gently pushed past her, leading the way. Her father followed behind her.

Canary didn't take too long to get to their desired destination. They walked down the long hall and got to the end before taking a left, then another into the last door in the hallway. Canary got scanned by the sensor and walked in, then Lyssa, then Martian Manhunter. It announced their names and code numbers.

This medical bay wasn't like the one on the Watchtower. This one is smaller. Maybe it was because it was for the team, but before that it was the League's, so she didn't quite understand why the size would be different. There were beds like before, but these were against the wall, and all of the supplies were lined up on the counter, accept for the morphine and narcotics, which were locked in a large metal-door closet. The needles, surgical supplies, and everything that could be a potential weapon were also in there.

Lyssa sat on the first bed there and sunk barely into the hard mattress. Good thing she wouldn't be here long, or else she would wake up with a rigid back and sore shoulders. Canary went to the cabinet with Manhunter and they collected a needle and some disinfectants, preparing to draw blood. Lyssa curled her legs up and put her chin on her knees. When Canary came back over, she smiled at her.

"Arm out, please?" She said it like a request but Lyssa knew better. She extended her arm towards the League member and watched as she disinfected the area on her arm right below her elbow, proceeding the take a fresh syringe and withdrawing a full vile of red liquid. Canary put a small bandage on the spot she took the blood from and took said blood and put it in a cushioned container the size of an average book. She left first, but Martian Manhunter stayed, signaling for her to stick around as well.

"How is everything?" He asked, standing off to the left of her.

Lyssa shrugged. "It's only the second day. I don't think I should be judging only my second day into my stay here with the team."

He nodded. "That is fair. Do you like your living area? I had decided that one would best suit your needs for your living here at the Cave. Was I correct?"

She smiled, "Yes. The color is dark, but it looks nice when I turn the lights on, so I have no real problem with it. It has just enough room for all of my things, and more if I choose to do so. I appreciate the work you put into my stay."

"Of course," Manhunter said. "My offer of living in Chicago still stands if you change your mind. We can move you in under a day."

Lyssa smiled at her father. "As much as I appreciate the offer, I believe it would be easier to get to and from my designated school if I just stayed at the Cave. Besides, I see this as an opportunity to train and learn to get to know my teammates. It wouldn't be very productive if I was closed up in Chicago, not even trying to socialize with them." Then she paused and added, "I also find myself fond of the library."

He chuckled. "Indeed." He motioned for the door. "Before you begin doing missions, we must do a final physical. Plan for it in a few days. After that, you should be cleared for duty."

Lyssa nodded and stood, walking towards her father, who put an encouraging hand on her shoulder. She led her way into the hallway, but she went side-by-side once in the hallway. Even after being shown the way, she couldn't quite remember how to get from here to the living area. After they arrived there, Martian Manhunter bid them farewell and took his leave.

Lyssa turned to the team, their eyes curious and trained on her.

She smiled. "They were drawing blood to see how everything turned out. They said after the bloodwork is done, they will doing a final evaluation and I will be cleared for training."

Kaldur nodded. "When should that be?"

Lyssa shrugged. "My father said in a few days, but that's nothing exact." She looked at all of them. "So is it my turn?" She asked, changing the subject. She perched herself on the unused arm of the couch next to Wally and crossed her legs, taking the controller in hand and starting the game.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey Guys! I actually think this is one of those chapters that begins the snowball effect. Lyssa is beginning to understand the life of a superhero. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 3:**

**|The Cave**

**|July 22, 7:09**

In the last few days, Lyssa found it easy to adapt to life in the Cave. Every morning she would wake up early and go to the library until another member came to summon her for breakfast. Though it was originally Wally, it soon became Kaldur, who found curiosity in what she was reading and learning. Now it was a routine for him to join her in the library early and talk about the book and the subject of which she read that morning. When she informed him of her choice, he would return after breakfast and look at the books with her, before the rest of the team arrived.

For the most part, Lyssa found herself busy at the Cave. When the Team arrived, usually they would go over certain maneuvers in the gym, teaching Lyssa simple defense moves, stances, and, well, maneuvers. She was standing looking at Wally, who was wearing workout clothing, with Robin on the left and Kaldur on the right.

"First thing you do when facing a potential threat is focus on the person you're fighting," Robin said. "As obvious as it sounds, it's easy to get side tracked when in that amount of stress. And it can be stressful."

Kaldur pointed to Wally. "What are his strengths?"

Lyssa looked over Wally twice before saying, "He's both arm dominant. He doesn't have a weaker arm. His legs are the same. His speed calls for hasty attacks and a quick finish if he so chooses. He's also experienced as a fighter and hero."

Wally flicked his hand dismissively, "Oh stop it, you."

"Weaknesses?" Robin asked.

"He's arrogant and egocentric," Lyssa replied immediately. "He can't stop easily once he's started-running, I mean-and he tends to open his big mouth, get distracted, and get obliterated. He has a big head. He also speaks his mind, which anyone with a psychology degree or even the basic study of the subject will end up knowing what he's going to do and stop him before he does it. He's also sentimental and loyal, both of which are good for character, and we personally enjoy and cherish about him, but can be used against him in the field."

"Hey!" Wally exclaimed, disappointed. Kaldur and Robin chuckled.

Robin clapped twice, "Very well done."

"It's good that you associate physical weaknesses with mental weaknesses," Kaldur says. "In the field, they are one in the same. Being able to think like the enemy gives you the upper hand. Not all battles are fought with weapons and physical skills."

Robin went to Wally's side and pointed to him. "What are some weak spots in the body evident on Wally?"

Lyssa shrugged. "Everything is different depending on the person." She walked up and pointed to his neck. "He may have too much muscle for his nerve to be an open spot of weakness. At the same time," she jabbed him in the side and watched him twitch. "Other parts of his body aren't as protected."

"Why did I agree to this again?" Wally asked.

Kaldur walked up as well. "Where would you go for first?"

Lyssa thought for a second, "The throat?"

Robin laughed. "Okay, Cheshire."

"You only go for the throat if the opponent is…large." Kaldur said. "For Wally, you would weaken the strengths he already has. Point one out. You listed the majority."

"His legs," Lyssa said, looking to his obviously muscled legs.

Robin nodded, turning to Wally, "Run for the next forty five seconds in a pattern." Wally nodded and started doing so. Robin pointed at Wally. "Look for obvious patterns. Wally is running one-per request-so that you can figure it out. Watch him, find the pattern, and take him out in the least damaging way possible. Don't use your powers."

Lyssa nodded and looked for the blur, which was around her. She couldn't see the boy himself, but the path was obvious. Around the weight sets, through the tread mills, and around the edge of the grappling ring. She couldn't see his solid self, but she knew where he was going. With a plan in mind, she walked to where he was. She couldn't focus on a specific feature of him, but she mentally scaled him by the size of the blur. When she scaled it out, she took a breath and swung her fist.

Needless to say, nobody expected her to punch him. The general idea was that she would trip him, he would trip and walk away with a scuff. They expected that since she noted the legs as his strength to weaken. Thankfully, she didn't hit him in the face. It would have really done damage. Instead, she hit him in the shoulder, and made him stumble onto the ground. He instinctively grabbed for his shoulder and steadied himself on a support pole and groaned a little.

Lyssa's eyes went wide and she flew immediately to his side, putting a hand on his opposite shoulder and forearm.

"Wally, I'm so sorry! I didn't want to hit you in the face, or the throat, or the stomach or chest so I aimed for your shoulder and I didn't think-"

Wally laughed, interrupting her distressed ranting of worry. "Calm down, Lyssa. It's just a bit sore. What did you think you did, dislocated it?" He laughed again and shook his shoulder, grimacing. "I think you gave me dead arm, though."

Lyssa gasped. Kaldur jumped to help.

"Dead arm means that you made his arm feel…numb for a bit. It wears off after a few minutes," Kaldur explained, "Don't worry."

Robin snickered and Kaldur elbowed him in the ribs, only making him laugh more. Lyssa was on the verge of tears when she turned and hugged Wally. "Sorry, Wally."

Wally wrapped his uninjured around her and laughed. "It's all good, sugar. Just wasn't expecting it, was all."

Lyssa nodded and the tears melted away into her eyes. She pulled away and smiled, and Robin nudged her. "It was a good hit. And you knocked Kid Mouth off his feet."

"She did that when she walked in the room," Wally said, winking.

Lyssa pointed at him. "Technically, you walked into the room. I was in the Cave when you arrived."

"I'll remember that on our wedding day," He replied, shaking his arm a few times before saying. "I'm done for the day. Not because it hurts, but because I'm going to be late for dinner." He kissed the back of Lyssa's hand. "Later, baby. Kaldur, Rob." He sped out before a reply was given.

Robin shrugged. "Even if you had hurt him, he would have been fine. He heals quickly." He nudged her comfortingly. "I'll make sure that he's fine after he gets done with dinner."

Lyssa nodded hesitantly as Robin led the way out of the gym. Since Megan and Superboy sat out for this round of training, they didn't have to worry about the lights, and just turned them off on the way out. As they turned into the hallway, the Martian girl couldn't help but feel guilty. She had hurt her teammate! How was she supposed to be a member of the team if she couldn't even protect them from herself? She acknowledged that it was a part of training to grapple with her opponent, who was a teammate, but she didn't mean for it to hurt him.

When they got to a familiar corridor, she turned off and headed towards the library. She had dropped a collection of poems on the table earlier that morning, and hoped it would distract her from her crazed thoughts of guilt. When she turned away, however, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned to see Kaldur behind her and didn't say anything. They ventured all the way to the library and went to the sitting area. She sat cross legged on one end of the couch, and he sat normally on the other. When she collected the book of poems, and laid it on her lap, but didn't go to read it. Instead, she broke the silence.

"I'm fine, Kaldur," She said softly, because her voice couldn't be harsh. It was something both Lyssa and Kaldur knew by this point. Lyssa was incredibly hard to catch irritated. Kaldur had yet to see it. Megan speculated that it may be because she was raised in a calming and safe environment, but Kaldur thought it was just her personality.

Kaldur looked at her slumped posture, her elbows on her knees and her eyes, once ember and lively, more dreary and disappointed. "You nor I believe that is true."

Lyssa sighed, wishing he had left her to weave through her thoughts by herself, instead of looking into it. But she couldn't help but feel flattered that he cared so much. "I don't like hurting people. I just never found it to be the right thing to do. I always was able to rationalize with a person, and convince them their actions were flawed in moral, but now it is impossible. I have decided to join the team, and I will not resign that act before I have followed through, but I wish there was another way. It wasn't even just Wally today. Though he is a true friend, and I enjoy his company, I do not believe I would ever find it right to harm someone. I feel like I wouldn't want it done to me, so why should I do it to someone else?"

She was sitting in a curled position now, her knees to her chin and her eyes down casted, red hair brushing just on her eyebrows. Kaldur sighed and gathered his thoughts, before saying. "Lyssa, there is a time when all of the protégés of the League thought that violence was cruel. But it is our job to accept the world the way it is. I am not saying to denounce your ways, because I would never force you to sacrifice your belief just to adapt, but I am saying that you may wish to adjust your perspective. As bad as this sounds, I do indeed think that in some cases, justice only comes after violence has ensued. Most of the time that is the case. We train you so that you're ready for when they fight back. But you won't be alone. The team will be there."

Lyssa nodded and looked at Kaldur, her cheek against her knee. She smiled, "Do you think Wally will forgive me for punching him?"

Kaldur laughed. "I believe he was never angry with you."

They shared a smile just as the intercom echoed around the Cave.

"_Team, report to mission's room_."

"Isla Santa Prisca," Batman said. "This island nation is the primary source of a dangerous and illegal neo-steroid. A strength enhancing drug, sold under the street name Venom. Infrared heat signatures indicate their factory is still operating at full capacity, but all shipments of Venom have been inexplicably cut off. That's where this Team comes in."

The holographic display showed a map of the island, and surveillance collected for the League regarding the factory. Pictures from directly inside of the tree line of the jungle surrounding it. The screen went to charts and statistics.

"This is a _covert _recon mission only. Observe and report. If the Justice League needs to intervene, it will."

He turned back to the screens and the map popped up again, with red dots on specific parts of the island.

"The plan requires two drop zones," He said, the two points labeled _A _and _B_.

"So who's in charge?" Robin asked, once Batman had finished his briefing.

Batman and Red Tornado shared a look, which conveyed more than a full paragraph of dialogue would have. They stared for only a moment before turned back to the young protégé. "Work that out between you."

Robin nodded, but then smiled. The Team departed for the mission. Lyssa was told just a minute before the briefing that her involvement wasn't necessary until the next mission at least. So she stuck around to collect information and watched as the rest of the team dispersed to the hangar. She turned to the heroes that remained and looked to the plan that was in front of her, weighing everything on her mind.

Batman must have seen the gears in her head working, and said, "The information is sound and the plan is simple. Should they go according to plan, it will be fine."

She looked to the Caped Crusader, as she had heard Wally once call him, and knew he was telling the truth. The confidence in his voice was evident. But she couldn't shake a particular feeling in her gut.

She chose her words carefully. "I do not doubt that you have created this plan carefully and without fault. But out of curiosity, would it be possible for me to watch the mission anyway?"

"If you're so sure it will turn out well, why would you want to watch?" Batman asked. She knew it wasn't a rude question, Batman was simply picking her brain.

Now she truly picked her words carefully. "It's out of preparation. I wish to observe the strategy that the team uses when observing and reporting for a mission. After all that my father told me about your missions, and the various methods to approaching them, he was very scarce when explaining what the exact procedure is for stakeouts."

Was her response the full truth? No. But it was partially the truth. She wasn't taught much about how to hand stakeouts, and she did want to prepare for her upcoming, and obviously nerve-racking mission. But she was also concerned for their safety. She may not be able to do much from here, but it would give her ease to see that they were safe and that the mission was going well.

After a moment of thinking, Batman turned and started hacking into a satellite. She was amazed by his skill, superior to his own protégé that amazed her just as much, and all she could do was stare at the screen as he broke down firewalls and used a Trojan horse system to get control of a satellite that was just over Santa Prisca. He stepped back and she looked at the infrared that was showing up on the map."

"The team will be arriving there shortly after eight," Batman said.

Lyssa smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you, Batman."

He nodded simply and turned towards the Zeta. Once he was gone, and Red Tornado retired to his apartment over the mission's room, she took a breath of relief. She then turned and headed to the kitchen, to prepare for the wait. After collecting a bottle of water and a book from her room, she sat cross legged, hovering directly in front of the screen and waited.

An hour passed by as she watched the screen. The infrared signatures showed two groups of separate sides of the island. It was peculiar. She watched carefully as the clustered dots sorted and moved around. She wondered if Batman was aware that the groups were not altogether. In fact, they were almost severed.

_He looked at the infrared first_, she told herself. _He knows that the groups are separate._

But did the team know?

It didn't take much debate for her to try and call the team.

"Red Martian to Robin," She said into the comms unit. Not response. She furrowed her brows. "Red Martian to Robin," She tried again. Nothing. "Red Martian to Aqualad?" Nothing. She went through the entire team until she realized that they were in a radio silent zone. All she was getting was snow. She went to her feet and tracked their progress. They were on the island already. Their infrared dots were on the screen. To distinguish them from the rest, she made their dots separate colors, then watched as they went on with the mission.

The separate groups hadn't been obvious to the team. Their group movement shows that they as a unit did not expect to be in the cross hairs of two different groups. But as Lyssa watched, she realized how easily they adapted to the changes in their environment. For hours she watched as they avoided the masses on the map, and then she saw something she wasn't expecting-they started to mix with them. Her eyes widened.

Slowly, certain dots stopped moving. Two or three at a time. They were in clumps, and stopped only after going close to a dot that was marked as a team member. She wished she knew how to use the satellite to make watching easier, rather than assuming that each of the members were, for the most part, unscathed.

The movement stopped after a while. The dots that were known as the team, save a few other ones that were rapidly leaving or disappearing completely, remained. She wasn't sure what was happening, and before she could see more the feed went dark. Her brows furrowed, tapping a few buttons. When there were no results, she went to call in Batman, but he was exiting the Zeta when she pressed her finger to her comms unit.

"What happened?" He demanded, striding to where she was and looking at the computer.

"I-I don't know! I was watching the feed and-"

"What was happening on the feed?" He demanded.

Lyssa recounted the events she saw happening. "The heat signatures of the Team mixed in with the masses that were at the factory on Santa Prisca. I think there was a fight because some heat signatures started stopping in place. The heat signatures of Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Superboy, and Miss Martian were still moving however. That last of the feed I saw was a dot not identified moving at a rapid speed away from the team, another which had confronted a team member disappearing into the forest, and the previous dot which had traveled with them stuck in one spot, and by my guess, apprehended by the team and neutralized."

Batman nodded stiffly. "The satellite was shut down. Stay available until the team arrives, then report back here for debrief."

Before she could ask what exactly she would be debriefing, he turned and left. She was silent, unsure what to do, and turned to where the holographic screen once appeared before her. After a moment of thought, she flew towards the hallways, maneuvering her way towards the Hangar to wait.

**|The Cave**

**|July 23, 01:01**

When the team had showed up, Lyssa was waiting. She was sitting, her legs dangling off the side of the landing pad, sitting rigid with her hands folded on her lap. Her hair was braided now, but it unraveled and then became choppy and shoulder length, then it changed color. She would periodically bring her fingers to her lips and chew her nails, grow them back, and do it again. She was barely aware of when they landed behind her, and jumped when Wally's hand came to her shoulder.

"What are you doing, beautiful?" He asked, "Not that I don't like being greeted after a long day of-"

"No time," She flew to her feet, his hand falling from her shoulder, "Batman is waiting in the Mission's room."

Everyone exchanged looks, "We figured, we have to debrief."

Aqualad walked forward and put a hand on her shoulder, "Let's go." He said, his tone comforting, his expression worried.

She nodded, nibbling her nails and glancing up worriedly before allowing the team to guide her towards the Mission's room. Her obvious outbreak had the team looking at her uneasily. She wasn't aware, however. She was instead focused on subtly assessing the team for obvious injuries, any blood or scrapes. Lyssa didn't realize that her attempt to be subtle was more obvious than anything. Kaldur tapped her shoulder blade, his hand still resting on her back.

"Nothing is wrong with us," Kaldur said reassuringly. He dropped his voice however, "Is something wrong with you?"

Lyssa shook her head, "I was worried. Kind of edgy. Nothing really."

"Your concern is appreciated," He said with a kind smile.

Lyssa returned it, feeling much of her negative emotion melt, much like ice cream on a hot day.

When they finally got to the Mission's room, Batman waited. He was standing with his back to the Zeta, waiting for the team to come in. Kaldur's hand dropped and they went to stand in line. Even Lyssa, who did not go on the mission, was silently ordered by glare to stand to attention. Superboy was on one end, Kaldur on the other, the rest of them lined up in the middle.

"Explain." Batman ordered.

Everyone exchanged a brief glance before Kaldur took the job of doing so.

His explanation was detailed and long. Every part of the story that had potential to be questioned was clarified and under no circumstance did Kaldur allow there to be error in what he said. His words were precise. Lyssa knew he was given the job as team leader. By the time he had finished, Batman was frowning.

"A simple recon mission-_observe and report_," He was directly in front of Kaldur, clearly upset with the results. He walked down the line. "You'll each receive a written evaluation detailing your _many _mistakes." He halted. "Until then, good job."

Every member of the team became startled at the turn in which their lecture had turned. They turned to look at Batman.

"No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy," He explained. "How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success. How you choose who leads determines character."

They were dismissed after that, the written evaluations to be handed out before they had left, even Lyssa. The only error written upon her sheet were two comments.

_Lying to conceal your concern for the team is unnecessary. It's natural to worry, do not try and hide it from a comrade. That is not a weakness._

_Trying to contact the team with a problem obviously warranting a call to me is not allowed. The League was better suited to use that information and handle the situation. Though the team adapted well, that will no longer be tolerated._

One was in Black Canary's hand writing. The other in Batman's.

Lyssa sighed.

They departed to different places, not all in the Cave. Robin left through the Zeta almost immediately, not giving any detail but giving a whole-hearted farewell before disappearing. Wally left as well, winking and leaving on the note that he would be missing lunch if he didn't hurry, which he explained was pizza today. Everyone else stayed. Megan went to the kitchen to prepare lunch for everyone staying in the Cave, Superboy went and watched the static on the TV, and Kaldur walked with Lyssa until they reached the Hangar once more. They walked down the stairs that led to a large pond-like mass of water, stairs leading into it until it was waist deep and then dropping off.

They sat at the edge of the water. Lyssa's biosuit, still in normal form, adjusted, the legs of the pants receding until they were just below the knee, her hair once again long and braided. Kaldur sat next to her, rolling up the legs of his pants, both of them leaning back on their palms.

"So I see you're the leader," Lyssa said, smiling at him. "Congratulations. You were a very logical choice for the job."

Kaldur smiled. "Thank you. Do you have any problem with me taking leadership?"

Lyssa chuckled slightly, "Not at all. Did I not just congratulate you? I think you being leader is going to be good for the team. You are level headed and have your heart in the right place. You leading is almost perfect."

"Are you saying that Robin does not have equally good qualities to make team leader?" Kaldur joked.

Lyssa thought for a moment. "Robin isn't as mature as a leader should be. He is, however, incredibly intelligent, and if he was more mature, he would have the makings of a good leader. But for now, I'm happy that you are in charge."

"I'm glad," He said, looking to the water with heavy eyes.

Lyssa furrowed her brows, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Are you?" She asked gently. "You seem like you're unsure of yourself."

Kaldur smiled slightly, "Either I am obvious or you are perceptive." He sighed, his smile falling as quickly as it came. "I'm unsure if I should be the one to carry this burden. As open as you are to the idea, the entire team was hesitant to conclude who should be leader. I feel like was simply common ground between Robin and Kid Flash, and only after being convinced."

Lyssa smiled tenderly, "I've never seen you doubt yourself Kaldur. You have no need to now. You were meant to lead the team, as Robin is meant to be your successor. It is natural to be concerned." She took the words from Canary. They belonged here rightfully. "Being honest about it just means that you are prepared. You've been doing this for a long while. It's something I believe you will grow into more once you've tried it once. Don't doubt yourself, Kaldur." She put a hand on his bicep. "You have no reason to."

Kaldur smiled back to her once more. "Thank you."

Lyssa and his looked back to the water. It rippled as they swayed their feet back and forth. She mused what it's like underwater, which then led to thoughts of Kaldur, and his home Poseidonis. What was it like there? Was it just as beautiful? Or was human pollution plaguing the city that would be deemed beautiful if it wasn't? She looked at Kaldur, and held back on asking. There was a comfortable silence fallen between them, so instead she leaned back on her palms, watching the water with easy, carefree eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I'm the most generous woman known to man, and you know why? I didn't do a chapter, finish one, or anything, but I've decided to give this one to you because I need you to know something; I just got hella busy. Meaning chapters will be spaced out. I plan on taking a day to just finish a few chapters, but that's in a week or two. So I'm pretty just saying that I may not update for a bit. My bad. It's on me. But I'll do my best. In the mean time, read on.**

**By the way, TO THE READERS THAT ARE ALL ABOUT HER FIRST MISSION! I have it written, in detail in fact, but I will not post that until I get another chapter done. I'm sorry. This chapter is Lyssa discovery fluff. Its where she really gets a glance at her limited slice of Earth. Robin is very sweet in this chapter, very encouraging. It's nice, but brief. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4:**

** |The Cave**

** |August 1, 10:02**

Days had passed since the mission, which decided whom would be leader. The team had settled into the idea. Kaldur as a leader seemed to make more and more sense as the days went on. Nobody argued with the idea that he would be in charge of them. Lyssa had noticed that it made his mood even lighter as the days went on, and she believed now that he had completely grown okay with the idea.

She spend her days where she normally was, but now she was the one who was not at ease. She found herself migrating towards the training room every day, going into the small simulation room where she watched recordings of the League, and their past training together to overcome a holographic catastrophe. Every time she watched what her father was doing in each of the exercises. She noticed he would telekinetically throw objects to further neutralize the target, but every time she couldn't help but acknowledge that it was simply a hologram. In the field, she could easily throw an object wrong and kill a human. They are not as physically sound as Martians. They bruise too easily.

Lyssa got done watching the eleventh tape that day when she sighed out loud, rubbing her palms into her eyes out of stress. She couldn't guess how to do this. She couldn't assume it would be right. This was a field of work in which mistakes cost lives, and she doesn't have the luxury of doing so.

She sat silently brooding for a long time. The silence was deafening at the time. She didn't know how to do the job that she was asked, and nothing was making her antsier. And she couldn't call her father and ask how to do her job. He wouldn't allow her to carry on until her was sure she was competent.

Lyssa stood after a while, finding that her mind was too clouded for her thoughts to be clear, and left the room. After exiting, she leaned against the door and took a long, deep breath, sighing it out loudly. It almost hid the muffled, childlike laughter that echoed suddenly from the rafters above. She looked up just in time to see a shadow dart like lighting across the already darkened ceiling. When she lost sight of it, she furrowed her brows, turning to head to the door, and jumping at the sight of Robin.

He laughed lightly. He was clad in his civilian gear-a pair of jeans, a blue hoodie, a black jacket, and sneakers. His sunglasses were prominently perched on his nose and were shadowed by the messy tufts of hair that fell into his eyes. He had a minor smirk on his lips, and an eyebrow arched.

"You're awfully wired," He noted simply.

"How did you get up there?" She asked incredulously, her hand thrown up in motion to the ceiling. The rafters weren't easy to grip. Not even Robin would do it so easily.

He shrugged. "I climbed. What are you doing in the records room?"

Lyssa sighed in an exhausted and frustrated sound. "I don't even know, to be honest. I need think, but the more I think the more I confuse myself. Does that make sense or am I second-hand confusing?"

Robin laughed, "I get it. I get that every once and a while. I usually distract myself a bit and give myself a different view." He smiled.

Lyssa rolled her eyes. "That's likely. All that I see in the course of a day is a series of cave walls and stalactites. Is there any other view?"

"Did you ever think to get out? You're allowed to do that, you know." Robin nodded towards the door. "You could go to the beach or into the town or into the woods. As long as you check in with someone and have your comm on you, you're able to go anywhere."

Lyssa's eyes widened at the idea, and thought about it for a long time. She has yet to feel the sun on her face or smell the salty ocean that was practically right outside their door-so to speak. She hasn't really done anything outside of the Cave yet. The idea was appealing. She nodded quickly.

"I like that idea," Lyssa said with finality. "Should we get the team together? Make it a team walk?"

Robin shook his head, "You can come back later and we can go for a walk." He pulled out his wallet and handed her a twenty dollar bill. "In case you grab something to eat or see something. That happens to me."

"Are you sure? I don't want to take your money-"

He shook his head, "Trust me, it isn't an issue. Just go for a walk. Go through town for a little bit. Stroll on the beach. You need to get your mind in order. This isn't a job where that's okay."

Lyssa eyed the young boy. For the first time, he wasn't cracking a joke or sarcastically commenting on someone's previous statement or even teasing someone. He was serious. She looked at the money in her hand and back to him, attempting to hand it back to him, but he simply shook his head and waved it away.

"Go," He ordered.

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Robin."

She gave him a small hug and went to leave the room, but Robin cleared his throat. "You might want to look slightly more human. The locals aren't accustomed to green ladies buying ice cream."

Lyssa nodded, looking down at herself for a long time before thinking of someone to change into. It was a tough decision. She knew that it wasn't who she had to be permanently, but she needed to figure it out before she attended school and it has been plaguing her mind as well. It seemed minor to most people, but to her, it was her secret identity. It was who she would be for the rest of her "human" life. She needed to make the right decision first.

She thought of her father in that moment. He chose an African American by the name of John Jones. He looked like a business man, wearing a blue suit, a red tie, and a very regal look. Maybe it would make sense to look like her father. He was her father after all. She was supposed to look like him anyway, it was how genetics worked on Earth. But he wasn't the right person to think of in that moment.

Lyssa strolled down the hall, eyes on the ground, until she saw a small puddle from precipitation. It was shining brightly in the fluorescent lights. When she looked down, she observed her reflection. Her amber-gold eyes, her full pink lips, and her hair, which for the day she chose to wear short and choppy red. She stood looking down for a moment, then checking the hallway to make sure it was empty before crouching. She observed her green cheeks, her chin, the arch of her eye brows, and the shape of her face. Slowly, she changed different features.

First she played with the eyes. They went from her amber-gold to a hazel, simply adding brown and green to the yellow to make it mix well. She shook her head at it, switching to blue, then green, then brown. Every time she shook her head in dislike. Then she lightened it to a gray. It wasn't a light gray, which would make them too noticeable, or too dark, which would confuse people on the color. It was a happy medium.

She then played with the skin tones. She knew that there were various skin tones to choose, but she liked the idea of looking like her father's alias. Her skin shifted to a brown, the same tone as her fathers, but then she lightened it, so her features were more distinct. After that she darkened her hair to a medium brown color, keeping its choppy and short look. She stood up, satisfied with the results.

As she walked out, she realized that much of the team was cluttered in the living room. She could hear them chatting about what movie to watch. She knew that Robin knew of her small trip, and made no effort to alert the rest of the team. Lyssa went to the so called "back door" of the cave and left.

Lyssa could feel the heat immediately, but that wasn't the first sensation. Outside the Cave was so bright. The sun was radiant! She could see where the sun got too bright and smeared out from the origin. She could see the real color of the sun. Then there was the heat. It made her skin hurt, it was so hot. Her mind raced and her skin screamed. She was used to the heat, but she was also used to being shielded from it. It had been a long time since she was exposed to this much.

She gasped out, smiling widely and looked across the forest, where a canopy of lush, almost fluffy looking bunches of leaves sprouted from long, tall stalks of wood. She had only seen trees as decoration in the Cave. She hadn't seen one in person. They seemed big. Adjacent to the forest was a long expansion of sand, so white and sparkly that it reminded her of the earth stone, diamonds. Water lapped over the crystal-like sand and swallowed minute bits of it at a time, leaving darkened sand in its wake. The waves sounded nice. No wonder they use the sound to calm people down. It was relaxing.

From where she was, she couldn't see Happy Harbor. She couldn't see the town that she would be a so called civilian of when school started, but she did want to see it. But the first thing that came as a priority to her was changing the form of her clothing. It was body tight and covered too much of her body for her to be okay with, since the temperature was probably over one hundred degrees. She changed the shirt to a simple blue tee shirt, and her pants became a pair of shorts that were normal for a teen her age to wear. Once her boots became sandals, she descended down a path the sloped down the mountain and into the edge of the woods.

The trees became level with her feet, then her waist, all until she was eye level with the leaves that were numerous amongst the branches. She could smell something plain, but also foreign, probably natural to those around her. Lyssa would have to ask Robin about that later. Her mind was so boggled by the idea of being outside the Cave that she was almost dazed. She could feel a slight vertigo, and noticed a number of black dots across her vision. She slowed her pace to keep from passing out.

On the ground, the forest was large. Each individual tree stood three times the height of Lyssa, and almost three times as thick. She walked to the nearest one, branches too high up for her to reach without flying, and ran her fingers down the bark that covered all of it. It was rough to the touch, and little bugs crawled in the crevasses high towards the top. There were leaves on the ground dead and decaying from last fall when they all deserted the tree for the soft dying grass. Tiny creatures, bigger than bugs but small enough to fit into Lyssa's hands, were jumping high in the trees, barely under the canopy of green. They were graceful and flew smoothly from branch to branch.

At the moment she wanted to explore. She wanted to run through the trees and smell the colorful little plants that grew along the base of the trunks, the flowers, the daisies. She wanted to document every species of plant that she saw and research them until she knew everything about them. She wanted to see how many grains of sand were spread across the entirety of the beach. She wanted to know the difference in climate from day to night. She wanted to see what constellations were possible from her view on earth. She wanted to see everything.

Her wonder wasn't short lived. She walked along the base of the entire mountain and spread her arms out to graze every tree she passed. She scanned the forest floor for the little snakes and squint into the halcyon leaves until she saw the little gray squirrels swishing around like they had no fear of falling. She wrapped around half of the mountain, and by the time she got around, it had been an hour.

The trees faded to the road, which roped around the edge of the forest before delving into it, one end leading obliviously into the forest, the other leaded to the roots of the town of Happy Harbor.

Lyssa looked both ways before crossing the street. Once she was on the other side, she sprinted towards the town. The air was a comb, soft as a feather through her hair. It was gentle against her face, and cool against her arms. She wasn't cold, but she was no longer hot either.

When she got to the first building, she realized it was a simple home. It was light blue with a white trim, and had a neat garden of tall orange flowers that covered the front of the property. There was a sleek looking car in the drive, next to a junky squared one that looked older than the house. The one next to it was also blue, and the next one was white. The colors changed as she went on, and soon she found herself walking along the even sidewalk towards a cluster of buildings that had brightly painted signs and windows with displays within. People of every age filtered in and out of stores and little cafes that were supposed to be French but ended up being more like any other.

Lyssa looked around for a while, simply standing in awe. Finally after a minute, she surged forward and looked into the cafes and stores, her curiosity overwhelming. The first place was a cute little boutique with dresses on mannequins and nice, wide brimmed hats on a stand. There was a counter far behind the display, with cheap jewelry in a case and on stands, kept in little boxes topped with bows. She opened the door and walked in.

The walls were white, the trim was blue, and the lights were turned off, the sun providing more than enough to illuminate the room without the use of electricity. It made the plastic gemstones that were embedded on the metals glitter brightly. There wasn't anyone in the store right now, except for a small elderly man behind the counter who was putting the real jewelry into the case at the counter and polishing silver plates and platters. He didn't notice that Lyssa walked in, and only make an attempt at talking when she bumped a rack of belts.

He greeted her happily. "Hello, young lady. Can I help you find something today?" He asked in a kind, elderly way. A way associated with advice and wisdom and the smell of pipe tobacco.

"No thank you," She said politely. "I'm just looking."

"Well tell me if you need help," He replied, going back to the silver that was already blindingly polished.

Lyssa didn't spend too much time in the shop. She looked at some little things-a bracelet with a series of charms hanging from it, a necklace to match, a ring with a heart shaped sapphire-but ended up leaving and moving on, offering nothing but a farewell to the cashier.

Lyssa continued down the street. Before the next hour was up, she was sitting on a bench staring a bookstore, wondering if using the money to buy a book would be okay. Robin didn't specify what she could and couldn't buy with the money. She assumed she was over thinking it, but she still avoided the store. It was almost one thirty when Lyssa decided to head to the beach. As she strolled down the street, she noticed a group of teens, eating ice cream outside a small convenience store. After a moment of thought, she walked away.

When she left the town, she only entered the tree line before going into camouflage mode and flying all the way to the "front door" of the Cave, then turning and heading towards the shore.

She flew slowly along the base of the mountain, still maintaining the façade that she wore around the town all day so far. She didn't sense anyone around her, so she made no attempt to hide herself. Her mind was now clouded by what she was probably repressing for the past several hours. She found herself frowning. She flew faster.

It didn't take long for her to reach the beach, but she found that the sand getting into her sandals was annoying, and so instead she flew to the ledge just overlooking the ocean. She curled her legs under her and watched the water. Robin had said that if she focuses on something else, she may be able to get a better handle on what is troubling her. But what does a different sight do? Sure she said it was a good idea, but she realized now that her time in Happy Harbor only took away two hours. It was pure procrastination.

Lyssa stared over the water for a long time before she realized the glare of the sun was making her squint, and her eyes water. She sighed and flew to the side of the cliff that overlooked the private section of beach that was away from the people of Happy Harbor. The water pushed onto the sand and retracted. Push and pull. It was something that was so simple it was beautiful. It had been described in so many poems she had read in the last few weeks that now witnessing it, she couldn't form any words to describe it that were originally hers. Everything she thought of were phrases she could pick from books. Sentences that made her wonder what it was actually like.

For a while she stared at it. She could feel the stress building up that came from her worrying about how to use her powers without inflicting permanent damage. And just as it felt like the dam was about to break, she got it. She understood everything. She understood that it requires a happy medium, like with her alias. She understood how to find that happy medium. It was a balance beam that she would need to master.

She smiled victoriously.

** |The Cave**

** |August 1, 15:50 **

Lyssa flew into the Cave just an hour after she figured out, having gone back to the town to buy a gallon of ice cream from a little store. She entered through the front door, where the ground sloped at the base of the mountain and created a ramp into the underground-under mountain catacombs. When she got to the kitchen, only Megan, Superboy, and Kaldur were there.

"Where is the rest of the team?" She asked curiously, putting down the ice cream on the counter.

Megan, who was busy at work making dinner, paused from her cooking to look at Lyssa, who was back to the form she usually donned while in the Cave. "Wally had to go home to do some things for his parents, he'll be back later. As for Robin, well, he left a while ago."

Lyssa furrowed her eyes in concern. "Did he tell you that I was in Happy Harbor? Because I-"

Kaldur interrupted before she could worry further, "He had told us, it is fine." He had a hand on her shoulder. He had a habit of doing that to calm her down. It was affective.

Lyssa nodded and pointed at the ice cream. "I hope everyone likes Rocky Road. Robin gave me money in case I wanted to get something, but I wanted to bring something for everyone. We'll have to save some for Robin."

Superboy looked at it, "What does that mean by 'Rocky Road'?"

Lyssa looked at the image on the front. "I figured it was peanuts and chocolate. Maybe something else? I'm not quite sure. I wanted to try something new."

Megan took it off the counter, putting it in the freezer. "Wait until after dinner." Her tone was mockingly motherly, which she smiled at as she closed the door to the freezer. Conner just smirked for a moment before turning back to the TV.

"So how was your…adventure?" Kaldur asked as Lyssa seated herself on the edge of the counter, ankles crossed.

She folded her hands on her lap, looking at her intertwined fingers thoughtfully. "Enlightening. Earth is very beautiful. I imagined it to be so, but the beach, and the sand and all of the leaves on the trees-it was stunning. On Mars it is sand. Flat. Here there is texture." She looked at Kaldur in disbelief. "Are you aware of how many grains of sand cover the beach? Millions. And there were these little furry things that were scurrying from tree to tree and birds were everywhere!"

Kaldur watched amused as she recounted every detail of her trip. Her descent from the mountain, her touching down on grass, and later sitting on a cliff overlooking the beach. She mentioned how right before she came into the Cave, to end her adventure, she flew to the beach and took off her shoes to feel the sand in her toes. Her eyes were bright and lively, her smile baring a row of sparkly white teeth. Her choppy hair sways as she moved with her hand gestures to further elaborate on her tales.

When Lyssa finished telling her tale, Megan said that dinner was ready. It was chicken salad tonight. Megan had been talking of making this for the past week, and the outcome was delicious.

When dinner was over, Lyssa waved to Kaldur as he departed from the kitchen to head back to Poseidonis. She watched him fade into the darkness of the hallway. She didn't notice when Kaldur turned around and looked at her. She looked down into the dark for another moment, thinking he was gone, and looked to Megan, still standing in the threshold of the corridor. She smiled and said something incoherently, something that got Megan to laugh, though muffled, like she was talking through a pillow. She tucked a tuff of short hair behind her ear, most of it coming back to grace her cheek, and then she walked away.

Kaldur stood there thinking for a moment, wondering what made him stop from going back home. After a moment he disregarded it, and he turned and left for the Zeta.


End file.
